New Favourites: Clare Bowen and Hayden Panettiere (Nashville Soundtrack)

photo: The Hollywood Reporter

Did anybody else go for the Kleenex during the Nashville finale? Oh my god, totally did not see that coming! Well, actually the last bit with Connie and Charles in the car was kind of predictable but Sylvia Jeffries' performance as Hayden's druggie mom was spot on. 

In any case, for the last couple of weeks, I have been playing the Nashville soundtrack consistently on loop. It's so good! I'm not a big fan of Connie Britton's vocals, but Clare Bowen, Sam Palladio (who happens to be British! WHAT!?), the Stella Sisters and (surprise!) Hayden Panettiere are the standouts for me.

Particularly Bowen whose pipes strike a remarkable resemblance to country/blues crooner Alison Krauss, who is a seminal favourite. I was familiar with Hayden's stint as a singer from her cheesy Disney days and that national anthem rendition, but her vocals fitted in this country genre seems to work. It's sweet, surprisingly soulful and wouldn't really look out of place in the canon of country-pop crossover artists in the last five years, albeit a little nasal at times. It's a possible niche for her, and the fact that her singles have already been met by positive praise is a good sign. Also, those Stella sisters are AMAZING huh?!

Have a listen to some of my favourite tracks from both Volumes 1 and 2! Get it on iTunes now!

Christina Aguilera: Lotus (Review)

Sometimes I wish I could shake the bijesus out of my favourite diva and make her realise that the world is not after her. But then again, in the thirteen years that she has been in this business, Christina Aguilera has thrived in the pain of having the bullseye painted on her. It is that angst and unapologetic retort in her verses that has inspired and empowered two generations of the bullied and the insecure. It has been two years since her album Bionic failed commercially, and along the way Aguilera has suffered through a divorce and a post-Burlesque weight gain which made her the butt of many a Twinkie joke. However, since signing up for a premium spot on the hit US singing competition The Voice, she has seemingly recovered from a bad streak and has cemented herself as a refreshed household name once again. For three seasons Aguilera has sat on her spinning red char, upping the ante for TV judging by being a veritable zeitgeist full of musical wisdom that has so far put her contemporaries into shame. After all, who would you rather feed advice from? Surely not fellow Musketeer Britney Spears- who despite being the most iconic popstar of the last decade, cannot carry a tune let alone sing live. The same goes for the likes of Jennifer Lopez, et al. She wants to inspire the new generation of singers the way she was inspired by Mariah, Whitney and Julie Andrews, and with that in mind, Christina Aguilera has brought forth her latest musical opus, Lotus. 

Christina Aguilera, Lotus (RCA)

Brimming to the full with the yearning to hit back at her critics, Aguilera delivers a new set of songs with an attack and gusto that Bionic lacked, albeit a little redundant at times. In 'Army of Me', she proclaims to have come out the last two years being stronger, wiser and more of a fighter than ever before, while giving a massive fuck you to her haters when she tells them to 'run around in Circles on my middle, middle finger'. Catchy, crass and oh so effective! When she's not fighting back, she's advocating a whole lot of love in synthy, surefire commercial dance numbers such as the fun lead single 'Your Body', 'Let There Be Love', 'Red Hot Kinda Love', and the island-flavoured 'Around The World'. Critics have accused the singing of copping Rihanna, but they seem to have forgotten that Aguilera has always played with reggae elements and her Latino roots since 2002. This seems to be the issue with the public and Aguilera. The world continues to hang tightly onto her sophomore record (the best one she's ever produced) Stripped, yet they forget that it was Xtina who continued where Madonna left off- paving the way for the Ke$has, Katys and Rihannas of the world, assless chaps and enough grease and dirt in tow. Needless to say, the pop diva belts out as loud as ever to wasail her way back to the throne she had left vacant since 2007. In the heart of the record, ballads such as 'Sing For Me' and the Sia-penned 'Blank Page' achieve this goal by highlighting Aguilera's vocal prowess against a minimal backdrop. Gone is the heavy-handed touch of Max Martin and instead Aguilera lets her voice raise to the rafters, each melisma executed perfectly as if to educate her new generation of protegeés in a Pop 101 Masterclass. The latter track offers the most sincerity, despite the lack of gentleness in her hand. Her passion remains as subtle as a gun. Even in the beautifully random duet with fellow Voice coach Blake Shelton, 'Just A Fool' showcases her take on scorned love in a country torch song. When she sings her 'whole heart comes out' both sonically and emotionally, and it is a signature trait that isn't too dissimilar to Streisand's ululating verses or Celine Dion's bizarre dance moves. She is often accused of substituting heart with vocal acrobatics but somehow the trade works in Lotus. Perhaps that is simply her chosen brand of soul. I'm sure the likes of Patti Labelle and James Brown endured their share of subjective criticism.

However, it is this aggressive vocal approach that lets Aguilera down at times in this record. Many fans adored her subtle tribute to Nina Simone with her cover of 'I Loves You Porgy' back in 2008, and though her oversinging tendencies was cut down to the bare essentials (relatively), Lotus lacks the technical gradation that a vocalist of Aguilera's calibre should be displaying. Mid-range, her voice has a fullness reminiscent of her idol, the late Etta James and a tone Beyoncé could only dream of. But the girl simply will not listen and therefore, her voice sometimes sound tired and strained, peppered and aggravated by the grit she has been working on for years. There have been rumours of Aguilera employing the help of a singing coach a few years back, to help prevent deterioration and preserve her golden pipes. I am one fan who would plead to her to go for it. When the years have gone and the auto-tuned pop-bots of today have all but vanished, I want Christina Aguilera to be somewhat of a Billie Holiday, or an Etta..or simply, herself. Secure, content and full of resolution in a career that has endured and stood the test of time, like the Lotus flower she continually wants to embody. 

Overall I would say that Lotus is a strong and solid record. It is perhaps the most commercial record Aguilera has produced since her musical debut, with no singular theme or genre as with the rest of her catalogue. She has thrown around the notions of 'rebirth' and resilience during promotional interviews and though not overtly, I agree with her idea. Lotus gives birth to a new Xtina; one who is ready to jump start a new phase of her career now that she has finally come full circle. I wouldn't say that it is a comeback record, but merely a great platform to begin a long term bid at a lasting career. Let's just hope that Miss Aguilera reigns in that voice in the future and drops her defence because she has nothing more to prove. She's said it herself in the past, so here's hoping that she finds the conviction in her words, 'Baby cease fire, throw down your weapons, I'm on your side'. 

RATING: 3.5/5

Sonically Back to Basics: HMV 100

At last, my long awaited graduation/birthday present has finally arrived! After being restored, conditioned, packed and shipped, my HMV Portable Gramophone Model 100 came knocking at my doorstep this afternoon. I was smiling ear to ear, I don't think my brother can remember the last time he saw me as giddy- like it was Christmas morning and a Christina Aguilera album launch mixed all in one day. After a disappointing purchase of a modern remake from a well-known label, I scoured google for some legit dealer who specialises in gramophones. Ebay was out of the question of course. 

When I finally found Howard Hope's website, there was a sense of credibility that came with the link. He has been featured in newspapers and he describes his business of buying and selling gramophones and phonographs as one that he stumbled into in the early 70's. For over 40 years he has been buying pieces, restoring and selling them with a passion- how can I say no to that? In any case, I immediately contacted him and spoke about his online catalogue. An antique one with a horn was too expensive and too large, and simply too precious for a rookie like me so I set my heart on this lovely portable HMV, which turned out to be from the first brood of portable gramophones- you know the ones made so that soldiers can bring music with them as well? Fast forward three weeks later, after days and days of longing, it came. To my surprise, Howard even included a few choice records for me to sample right away. This may be the best belated birthday present I have ever gotten. 

The sound quality is amazingly clear, or at least as clear as it will be as it is an antique. Sonically, I was surprised at how loud it got, then I remember Howard saying that it could certainly fill up a room with its volume. No kidding! As I am writing this post, I am simultaneously switching and winding between Bing Crosby and Louis Armstong- scratches and all.

I played a 78 rpm of 'Who Stole The Lock' by The Chicago Rhythm Kings. Watch out for my vocal debut- it ain't as pretty as the record!

I think I'll go put my wingtips and spats and dance the night away.

Xtina's Lotus and Your Body

That title of the post may sound like a poorly constructed double- entendre but don't worry, it's not.

Today, the Queen of my musical heart Christina Aguilera hosted a live Twitter Q&A for her fans, for the upcoming release of her new single 'Your Body' and subsequently her 7th studio album, the follow up record to 2010's Bionic. The new album is entitled 'Lotus'- 'representing an unbreakable flower that survives under the hardest conditions and still thrives', as revealed by the lady herself. I still stand by my view that Bionic was a severely underrated pop masterpiece, but never mind- we have new tunes coming our way! Plus, after a rather turbulent yet dynamic past couple of years, Aguilera has had a lot of material to work with and we all know what a gifted writer she is. She's done RnB, Vintage, Electronica but for this record she insists that 'conceptually, I didn't target one particular sound/genre. I made music that felt good.'

Although my questions were not answered- due to the high amount of tweets, it probably got lost in the mix :( Aguilera shared a lot with her fans so all is good. From her current musical playlist (Frank Ocean and M83) to the inspiration behind this new album, Xtina answered and retweeted as many questions as she could with the help of her cute mutt Nugget. She even shared the cover shot for her single 'Your Body' firstly with her fans via tweet! Check it out! 

[Image via @therealxtina]

She looks hot, and from what the leaked demo from a couple of weeks ago indicate, we are in for some serious pop schooling. While 'Lotus' won't be released till November, the first single comes out this Friday and we have plenty of Xtina on The Voice to keep us happy. I honestly cannot wait! I think we can all agree that it has been far too long since Bionic. 

What do you think of the cover? 

LOVE!

NBC The Voice: Why I love it and why Christina is the best coach on the show.

We all know how widely popular and how successful The Voice has been, both for NBC and the community of fellow reality TV singing competition lovers. It's a great concept, especially with it's initial blind audition process where the show takes it back to basics, so to speak. While the show has made big bucks from some serious star-power from all the four coaches (Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine, and Blake Shelton), the network also makes the show credible by inviting some of the best artists in the country. 

Lindsey Pavao singing Gotye's 'Somebody That I Used To Know'

This season, while I favour Team Xtina greatly with all the bias in the world, I have to say that I do have favourites from the other teams as well. Katrina Parker and Tony Lucca from Team Adam are two of ones I look forward to listening, alongside Jamar Rogers from Team RedZone (a.k.a Cee Lo) and Erin Willett from Team Blake. The diversity in talent this season has been incredible. I like the fact that it is not just a competition full of big voices with four octave ranges- case in point, Lindsey Pavao's indie-ness and haunting vocals have been refreshing and modern. Her sound is always a breath of fresh air! I personally cannot see her on stage at the 'other' TV competitions because of this fact alone. Idol and X Factor, while they are improving in terms of catching up with talent, are still prejudiced towards artists from alternative genres. If you can sing Whitney decently, you get a trophy. If you can rap like Eminem, you too can win a trophy! It's ridiculous. God knows it is not the sort of music that this generation has grown up listening too. The beauty of The Voice is that it combines modern sound with the singer's flexibility in wielding their artistic creativity, and it return they offer us music that isn't just a carbon copy of the greats. Plus. can I just point out how fabulous it is to know that sob stories don't matter until after the blind auditions? No teary coaches to be found on The Voice, because the process levels out the playing field. So you were homeless, big deal. Jesse Campbell had to BRING it at his audition without the coaches' awareness of his situation. Their life stories are irrelevant in the audition process, which ultimately makes the competition fair and square. 

Now on to my beaming review of Christina's progress as the queen of NBC.

She may be ditzy sometimes, and her jokes and digs may be a bit obtuse. Her wardrobe may have had a horrific track record, although her recent live show get-ups have been nothing short of beautiful. She may exude extreme bias towards her team. 

HOWEVER. 

Christina has been the single, most honest coach in the competition thus far. She says what's on her mind, and if she didn't like a performance, she says it but not without good criticism. Now, readers may hate me for saying this but it's the truth. Naia Kete was the perfect example last week with her blah performance of Adele's 'Turning Tables'. It was a huge miscalculation on Blake's part and Christina called them out on it. It was boring and pitchy and very amateurish. That's what everyone watching thought, or at least those who have good working ears. She's a great artist and I would definitely listen to an album if she ever releases one, but Naia's performance was a huge downer. Sure Christina could have sugar-coated her critique but that would have done Naia a great disservice because it is what she needed to hear. When I read the reviews and blogs the day of the results show, everyone has gone to chastise the lady coach for being a bit too 'harsh' and bitchy. Obviously people have become sensitive. Shouldn't they realise that actually, if the average Joe and Jane were to listen to Naia and not like it, they would say harsher things? To me, Xtina has been The Voice (duh!) of the people. She definitely says whats on my mind. 

Tony Lucca is another example. After last night's performance of 'In Your Eyes', everyone was beaming and impressed. He has a great voice that is reminiscent of David Gray and Ray LaMontagne, but that's just it. When he sang Ray's 'Trouble' at his audition I thought he sounded EXACTLY like the original record. Perhaps Christina did hit the nail on the head with her 'one-dimensional' comment, because Tony has been predictable thus far. His style is singularly focused on that folksy-indie-rocky niche and he could do with being a bit more than a one trick pony. After all, one can only listen to your signature sound many a time before they stop   buying your records (look up, Madonna, Gwen, Xtina, Michael Jackson...the list goes on). Ashley de la Rosa in comparison has done just that, for nobody thought that she was a pop-rock girl until last week. To pull off an Alanis Morisette number at 17 is a feat on its own. That's the sort of challenge Tony has to face. Then came the 'Mouseketeer' comment. As it turns out, Justin Timberlake has been tweeting his support of Tony for being good friends. So far, I've realised that NBC, Tony and the rest of America have capitalised majorly on his past as a Mouseketeer. And while that joy and nostalgia on TV, it hinders him as an artist because everyone who talks about him always bring up the whole Disney thing. That may have been where Xtina was coming from when she brought it up and told Tony of his unfair advantage because he has a celebrity following. I see it, and I get it. Now obviously, reading up on the reports, once again Xtina was the evil stepmother for saying such controversial things! 

Whatever. I give up. As she has said in the past, you cannot please everyone. Christina Aguilera has been the most honest and constructive (it could be a bit more refined...but I'll take it.) coach on the show. The only other one I find who's on par is Blake but whenever Adam agrees, so does he. That bromance thing does get a bit annoying sometimes. Poor Cee Lo. I always want to hear what he has to say, but they seem to not give him enough air time to ramble on as much as Adam.  Nevetheless, I think the other three coaches need to be a bit more sensible with their advice and not just compliment everything. Otherwise, they will turn into a much pretty version of Randy-JLo-and-Steven who wants to give the title to everyone for simply, performing. 

Adele.

First she lands her first US Vogue Cover, then she sweeps up six Grammys...all in the same week! How much happier can a girl be? A newly svelte Adele graced both the red carpet last night and the magazine cover for the March issue, with her trademark kitten winged eyes and va-va voom hair. Shot by the indelible duo Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, Adele strikes a pose in a beautiful fashion story spread, donning beautiful couture creations. Kudos to Anna Wintour for not just shooting the singer's beautiful face! Is this going to be the new thing now, or is Adele the exception to Vogue's notorious history of a lack in featuring full-figured, real women? Nevertheless, the editorial and cover are simply too stunning for words. God bless this woman! Click and enjoy the photos :)

Style Notes: Christina Aguilera at the 2011 AMA's

As of late, we've come to embrace the more shapely and voluptuous Christina Aguilera since her size 2 days from way back when. I love it. She's womanly and obviously she likes it that way. A couple of notes however, and for the real fans out there (like myself) hush now..this is merely an observation; girl needs to sack the hell out of Simone Harouche and get herself a better stylist. Better so that she could be dressed accordingly and to her advantage. I'm not saying she needs to lose weight because she doesn't. She's beautiful and she owns it. However, whoever insists on putting her in those horrid leggings and too-tight bandage dresses have got to stop. Tactical dressing would only emphasise the right curves and optimise that vampy fierceness that the Queen Aguilera is known for. Case in point, her il-fitting Herve Leger dress. Check out her performance at tonight's American Music Awards with Maroon 5 for their smash hit, 'Moves Like Jagger' after the jump!

Nip in the waist, work the A-line, or whenever in doubt wear something dark and textured. There. On that note (and that final one she hit at the end), her vocals tonight were on, as always. I never expect anything less from the diva. Not to mention that she slayed that cameo in a mere 26 seconds. Only the best part for XTINA! Also, kudos on the soft, sultry make-up. She definitely does look younger without the red lippie. Granted that the siren-look has been synonymous with Aguilera for quite some time now, having a break from it is always a breath of fresh air. 

Now, if there are any crazy stans out there who want to sling mud at me for this post, do as you wish. I probably would have done the same if I read this elsewhere, but even so. If the others can do it, and my god we know that Christina is not the biggest of them all, so can she. And Christina Hendricks has a bigger rack too! Remember her Baby Jane days? I really wish she stuck to that phase. It was beautiful and classy and it fit her like a glove. I'd even go as far as to say it would fit her even more so now. Think Marilyn. She shouldn't have to succumb to the pressure of being thin because she doesn't have to prove anything to anyone, anymore. I just feel like she is such a star that she deserves to look like it all the time. She should really start looking into her closet and re-evaluate how she is to dress for her current size. This does not mean she would lose her sexy image. Quite the contrary. If she can figure out how to dress to make her curves work, her aesthetic would only be more sexier and feminine that ever before. There, done. 

xoxo

Organic Sound

HMV Oak Case 109 Gramophone No4 Voice Box

I have no idea when it finally hit me but the need to acquire a gramophone has finally come to a peak. Maybe it was after watching that really creepy scene in Insidious, where the little boy ghoul switches on Tiny Tim's cover of 'Tip Toe Through The Tulips' (*shivers*! it's so damn creepy!) or after listening to swing music and the scratches on Christina Aguilera's Back To Basics album countless times, I don't know...but I have come to the final conclusion that I want one. And not just any old deck either. I want the real McCoy, with massive brass horn and all! (...that is, if I can find one)

There's just something timeless about them you know? Plus, I have always loved listening to records when I was younger. Whenever I peruse around vintage stores and antique shops, there are records everywhere too, so then I finally thought, wouldn't it be nice to wake-up to - I don't know, let's say the original recording for My Fair Lady on the gramophone complete with the scratches and that grainy quality for an authentic sound? Never mind the fact that it would make for a fantastic home decor and conversation starter piece! My sister may have been right when she said I am getting older and regressing too far and too soon. Just can't help it! Spotify would never give you that listening satisfaction, nor would the latest and most high-tech of all speakers! Swing music wouldn't sound right. I feel like I wouldn't achieve that genuine emotional empathy and reaction to Nina Simone if I dont play a record on the deck. 

Maybe if I stay good and pray enough times, Father Christmas would give me one for the holidays!

xoxo

It's The Way You Make Me Feel

OH.MY.GOD. Somebody get me my cowboy boots, and count me in! 5,6,7,8!

Aguilera VS The World (Repost)

After years of constant scrutiny, it seems haters are still aching to tear Christina Aguilera apart. There’s Kelly Osbourne poking fun at her recent weight gain, the fickle music industry who hung Aguilera to dry after Bionic was released, a gaggle of vacuous Little Monsters (enough said really), and the press who…well, peck at anything they can. It is true that with a decade of success and an undeniable golden talent, you’d think Christina would have had it easy, but no. Somehow the world still refuses to just open their eyes and admit that she is a one of a kind, legendary artiste. 

Top 10 Favourite Bits Of 2010

Since everybody seems to be putting out their lists before 2010 goes out the door, I thought I'd make my own little list too. This decade was pretty eventful for me, seeing as I have lived it, but 2010 believe it or not is pretty lukewarm for me. I don't know what it is, maybe I've gotten myself stuck in a rut or something? Nevertheless, here are some of my highlights.

10. Entering the Gateway to Senescence. I turned 21 this year. Big Woop! To people in America, it is such a big deal because its the legal age. For the most part they celebrate it because they can now legally drink and maybe pole-dance for a living, but for me it wasn't that big of a deal. Sure I had the massive party. I also had one for my 18th birthday, and every year following that. I always felt as though I had peaked early with the whole clubbing/partying/boozing scene that 21 years allow you to abuse. All the same, it is a rite of passage and I have passed. Woopeeeeeeh!